Former Campbellsville University catcher named Pioneer League Player of the Week
Richie Rowland chats with Campbellsville University players prior to a game during the spring. (Campbellsville University Photo/Richard RoBards)
By Chris Megginson / Campbellsville University Sports Information
Former Campbellsville University catcher Richie Rowland continues to be on a hot streak as he makes his rookie debut for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Rowland, who is in his third week of Minor League Baseball, was named the Pioneer League Offensive Player of the Week Tuesday for the week ending July 4.
Rowland, playing primarily as designated hitter for the Missoula Osprey squad, hit successfully in every game during the week as he extended his consecutive game hit streak to 11 Sunday. During the week, he hit .462 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBI, six runs scored and a walk. In 27 plate appearances, he struck out twice. The hit streak grew to 12 on Monday with a 480-foot home run, his third in as many days, and moved to 13 games with a ninth inning single Tuesday.
“I’m just trying to get into fastball counts,” Rowland told local paper The Missoulian on Monday. “I’m just trying to find a good place to hit in the strike zone. Luckily, I’m getting the pitches to hit and I’m not missing them.”
Rowland, a 6-foot-3 catcher from Cloverdale, Calif., opted off other organizations’ MLB Draft boards and joined the Diamondbacks organization as a non-drafted free agent when his younger brother Robby was selected in the third-round of the 2010 Draft.
“(Richie) has made the Diamondbacks front office look very wise for grabbing the duo,” wrote MiLB.com contributing writer Josh Jackson in Tuesday’s release.
For the season, Rowland leads the Pioneer League in hitting (.451) and on base plus slugging percentage (1.197), while sitting in the Top 10 for total bases (36) and home runs (3). He is the second Osprey to receive a Pioneer League weekly honor as Daniel Taylor was named the league’s Pitcher of the Week on June 29.
During the 2010 season for Campbellsville University, Rowland led the team in hitting (.372), RBI (61) and home runs (11). He was second in doubles with 16 through 64 games played. His longest hit streak at CU was six games on three separate occasions during the 2010 season.
To keep track of Rowland’s career, visit the below links.
Missoula Osprey Bio/Stats: http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?pos=C&sid=t518&t=p_pbp&pid=519232
Missoulian Sports: http://missoulian.com/sports/
